Sunday, March 22, 2009

Making maple syrup.

Pics are from over at Gordo's today and Shmitty and Quiugly got a thing goin!!

I have 20 gallons or so of maple sap that I tapped over the last couple of days. Will boil it down in the near future. Heading over to Gordo's this morning. He and his tappers have a good 100 gallons or so and have 4 pints bottled already. They are using wood to concentrate it so I will get some ideas from the pro's!!Started out by drilling a hole in maple tree 7/16 drill bit is the standard for most stock taps--2 to 3 inches deep . I have 5 taps. When temp drops below freezing at night and warms up during the day is the correct reciepe for sap flowage!! Don' take long (4 hrs is a GREAT flow )to fill a milk jug when flow is good. Will post some pics of my trip to Gordo's over on the North West side of Morris hill in East Farmington, over in the rich part of town. Only place around where people drive their ATV's wearing suit, ties and wing tips.JRODPS my comment on filter information was found at this site. Was not able to hook up the link--I am still learning.http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/7038.htm

3 comments:

Hope I got this blog thingy figured out for posting cause I hate typing and it not working. I've tried posting twice now and they don't show up. When filtering syrup I need some ideas to get the fine sediments out (disolved ash from fire,soot). I read to use cotton flannel but it doesn't work to good.

Care of FiltersFilters can impart off-flavors to syrups, making the product unfit for sale. Do not store filters in mothballs, cedar closets, airtight containers, or near scented materials. Clean filters thoroughly, dry thoroughly, and store in a cloth bag in clean, dry, airy, storage. Chlorine bleach should not be used to clean filters. Despite repeated washings, rinsings and airings, filters that have been washed with bleach still impart off-flavors to syrup. Scented cleansers, fabric softeners, and "dryer sheets" should not be used either. New filters and pre-filters must be thoroughly boiled in clean water (not in sap pans) and air dried (in the sun if possible). Use the "sniff" test to provide an added check for your filters. Musty old filters, or new chemical-smelling filters should not be used.

Old, threadbare filters will cause cloudy syrup. Hold filters up to bright light to check for filter problems (cloudy syrup must be graded substandard). Remember to filter hot syrup (210 degrees F) immediately after removal from the pan. Do not stir syrup through the filter.

Pressure filtersClean all pressure filter parts thoroughly with hot water prior to each reassembly.

Filter plates have numbers or patterns that indicate how the filter press should be assembled. Line up each numbered plate and smooth each cloth so that there are no creases. Put a thin rod through the plates during assembly to help maintain the correct position. Care taken with the assembly of pressure filter units will help to prevent niter in finished syrup, and loss of finished syrup.

Filter papers should be changed often enough and the pressure regulator should be watched to avoid building up of pressure and bursting of filter paper; careful monitoring of the filter press will help to avoid cloudy syrup.